


Too Late To Go Back Now

by Powerpossessor



Series: Prom Night [1]
Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, M/M, Prom, Side Jeankasa, Side Reinbert
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-07-03
Updated: 2014-07-03
Packaged: 2018-02-07 08:06:28
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,311
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1891563
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Powerpossessor/pseuds/Powerpossessor
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Prom's in a week and Eren's finally gathered the nerve to ask Armin. Will this turn out to be a huge success or a titan-sized failure?</p>
            </blockquote>





	Too Late To Go Back Now

The sound of a locker door slamming penetrated the drone of teenagers letting out, another steady Tuesday coming to a close. Armin Arlert, the boy who slammed said locker, heaved a sigh as he took in the atmosphere around him.

To put it simply, it was as if the entire school was encompassed with the feeling of romance. It was nearing the end of the semester of their senior year, and prom was only a week away.

The blond boy gave a somewhat sad smile as he bore witness to a couple embracing and laughing jovially with each other. Armin usually adored romance. Rom-coms had come to be a guilty pleasure for him, and he always felt noticeably happier on Valentine's Day, despite the fact that he had yet to have a valentine.

Be that as it may, this time it was…different somehow. He turned away from the giggling pair, dismissing his sullen behaviour as just a result of the cold he felt coming on. "Armin!" a familiar voice called out. Armin turned around to see his two best friends making their way through the crowd to reach him.

Eren pushing his way through, and Mikasa merely watching the masses part under her indifferent gaze. Armin gave a gentle smile, albeit a tad fake, once the two siblings made their way over. "Hey Mikasa, Eren." He greeted, watching Eren lean against his locker.

"I heard you accepted Jean's invitation to the prom!" Armin stated, seeing Mikasa's face crack just a small, almost unnoticeable smile. "Unfortunately…" Eren mumbled, eyes on the floor and his hands stuffed in the pockets of his Letterman jacket.

Armin chuckled, he really couldn't blame the turquoise eyed boy's hatred of the situation. Jean and him were friends, but there was always a rivalry brewing between the two. Whether it was sports, academics, friendships, you name it, they've probably fought over it.

Jean's obvious love for Eren's adoptive sister didn't exactly help. Mikasa shot Eren a glare before she turned back to Armin, her expression softening. "That I did." She responded smoothly, her voice lacking the usual embarrassment or flustered edge a girl in her situation would have.

"Did you ask anyone out to the prom yet Eren?" Armin asked curiously, something in the back of his mind was hoping he said no, fearful of how his heart would drop if he said yes. He noticed a soft pink blush sprinkled on his best friend's tan cheeks.

"N-Not yet…" Eren admitted, his usual confident air seemed to vanish under Armin's question. The blond boy held up his hands, a gesture conveying that Eren had taken it incorrectly. "No, no! I didn't ask that to ridicule you! I actually haven't asked anyone yet either…" He reassured, putting a comforting hand on the other's shoulder.

The taller boy's ears seemed to burn even hotter under Armin's tender touch. The blond-haired boy noticed this and quickly retracted his hand, his cheeks beginning to colour as well. Mikasa was about to take her leave, feeling as if she was intruding on something, when Armin beat her to it.

"I-I gotta go…I forgot that I have programing club today!" He fumbled, bowing before walking away a bit faster than intended. Once the two saw the flash of blond hair disappear around the corner, Mikasa sighed.

"Eren…it would be in everyone's best interest if you did something about your romantic intentions towards Armin." She explained bluntly. The flush that seemed to be fading quickly returned to Eren's face. "You don't think I've tried?" The brown-haired boy shot back.

"From what I'm seeing you haven't exactly made any progress." Mikasa responded coolly. It was no secret to her that Eren harboured feelings for Armin that surpassed just friends or even brothers.

It wasn't a secret to anybody at Shinganshina high school really. The only one that didn't recognize Eren's feelings was Armin. Since the boy was so intelligent, the only answer as to why he hasn't acknowledged it was because he couldn't believe it and simply ignored it.

It was a vicious cycle to their friends who just wished they'd grow a pair and get together. "I'm aware of that." Eren began in a mocking tone. "But I actually have something in mind…" He explained, piquing his sister's interest.

"Oh?" She inquired. "Do tell." She continued, urging the other to proceed. "I want to ask him to prom on Friday." He stated firmly, his fiery determination on full display. "Not that I'm opposing this, but why Friday?" The raven haired girl asked curiously.

Eren began to fidget a bit, his face heating up once more. "It's the day I fell in love with him back when we were seven…" He murmured, barely audible. Mikasa caught what he said nonetheless, giving him a genuine smile.

She checked her watch, realizing that she was going to be late for her rugby practice if she lingered around much longer. "I've got practice in 5. Stay safe on your way home." She explained, turning her back on her brother that was now frowning, most likely upset that Mikasa was still treating him like a child.

"Ah. Armin has a soft spot for romance." She added, turning back to Eren. "Just wanted to let you know." She concluded, slinging her gym bag over her shoulder with ease and making her way to the field.

With Eren left alone in the once busy hallway, he decided to get to work. He would be lying if he said he wasn't nervous in the slightest.

Armin walked silently on his way home. He would usually catch up with the rest of his friends, but today he wasn't in the mood. He sneezed rather loudly, drawing up his nose. "Who is lame enough to catch a cold in the middle of May?" He thought, hoping that it wouldn't worsen.

Exams were coming up soon and despite the fact that he was at the top of his class with a more than impressive 97.4 average (Mikasa being the only student to get even near that), he couldn't afford to fail or miss any of his finals.

He looked to the sky, the fleeting sunlight painting the sky an array of purple and yellow hues. He'd been so flustered about what happened in the hallway with Eren that he'd retreated to the computer lab and spent the last few hours coding an application using Java to pass the time.

The blue-eyed teen was usually very composed and collected, but Eren was always the exception to the rule. He reached home not long after, very congested and feeling a headache come on. "Grandpa!" Armin called, finding his grandfather tending to the plants that sat on the window sill.

"Ah, Armin. Good evening!" He greeted. Armin's grandfather might have been old, but that in no way stifled his energetic and caring attitude towards life. "I'm actually going to head upstairs and sleep for a while." Armin explained, leaving out that he felt ill as to not worry the older man.

He simply smiled and nodded, sensing that his grandson was anxious to just go and rest. Armin took his leave and made his way to his room. It was a very simple room with little touches that made it his.

He had several posters from national geographic hanging on the walls, the blue oceans and the crisp white tundras stood out on his beige walls. He collapsed onto his bed, tossing his book bag to the side in a fit of laziness. He let sleep take him, desperate for an escape from his discomfort.

* * *

 

The bell was about to ring as Eren Jaeger ran frantically through the hallways, shoving many students out of his way in his search for his best friend. About to give up, he spotted one of his close friends, hoping he might know about the blond's whereabouts.

"Reiner!" He called, catching the attention of the other male. "Eren! Man, I'm so fucked for this math test today…" He sighed. "Have you seen Armin?" The shorter boy asked. As much as he would love to shoot the breeze with the taller blond boy he needed to know where Armin was.

"Armin? I think he stayed home today. Poor guy looked pretty stuffed up yesterday." Reiner explained. "Probably has the flu." He commented. Eren felt a pang of worry ebb through his chest. He knew Armin didn't have the best immune system, so it wasn't a surprise.

But, he was still concerned nonetheless. He tried to shake off the nagging feeling and gave Reiner a strained smile. "Thanks anyways…" Eren answered, defeated. "No problem bro. Hey! Bertholdt! Listen Eren I've gotta go, see you later!" Eren muttered a small goodbye, watching his friend catch up with his boyfriend.

The sound of the bell rang throughout the school, signaling that Eren would just have to give it up and worry about it later. On the way to his physics class, he pulled his phone out of his pocket and typed up a quick message. Shutting it off, he took his seat next to Annie, who gave a nod of acknowledgement.

* * *

 

Tucked under his covers, Armin hacked and coughed repeatedly, his head beginning to spin once again. He had his grandpa call the school in the morning and texted Marco asking him to bring over his homework. The freckled boy was in 5 of his classes and he didn't exactly want Mikasa or Eren to see him in this state.

Mikasa would mother him way too much and Eren would get worried just get in the way. He finally felt the fluffy cloud of sleep beginning to descend on him when he heard the trill of his message tone.

Furring his eyebrows, he tried desperately to block out the cheerful tune that seemed to be mocking his miserable state, but to no avail. Armin's left hand clumsily roamed his bedside table until it came in contact with his cell phone.

He pulled it up to his face, eyes squinting at the bright display. His cerulean blues widened when he realized it was from Eren.

**Eren**

2013-06-18 9:26 AM

_hey, reiner said u were sick. r u ok? pls txt me back when u get this. im kinda worried x.x_

Armin felt a smile tug at his lips as he read the message. He shrugged off his covers and sat up, almost tumbling back down when his head protested the abrupt change of position.

2013-06-18 9:34 AM

_I came down with a cold yesterday, but I'm alright. Just a little congested. Sorry to worry you…_

Armin locked his phone and was about to set it back down when he felt it vibrate once again. "So quick…" He thought in awe.

2013-06-18 9:35 AM

_thats good! and dont sweat it u dont need 2 apologize_

_oh shit i gtg i think mr rivaille spotted my phone. u kno how uptight he is_

2013-06-18 9:37 AM

_You were texting in class again Eren?! He's going to kill you! Jeez, what am I going do to with you?_

Armin shook his head, putting his phone down for good. Eren was going to get penalized again without a doubt. Holding out any hope that he would text again before the end of the day was meaningless. He tucked his chin back under the covers. With Eren in his thoughts, he was able to fall asleep in no time.

* * *

 

Said boy in question was currently muttering angrily to himself as he made his way across the school cafeteria. Pissed off because his teacher did indeed spot him on his phone and not only confiscated it, but made sure to poke fun at his conversations with Armin.

Or as he had put it "his little blond squeeze". The brown-haired boy took his seat at one of the tables with all of his friends, next to Sasha who was currently trying to convince Connie to give her some of his food.

The table seemed to go into silence when Eren sat down, now confused. "What the fuck are you staring at?" He asked crassly, his eyes nervously darting back and forth between his friends who all had smug expressions. "Never thought you'd have it in you Jaeger." Ymir stated, the first to break the silence.

"It's about fucking time too you've been leaving the boy hanging for the last decade." Jean added, putting an arm around Mikasa's shoulder. She sent him a glare, but didn't pull away. Eren bristled at the action.

He would have reached over the table and strangled the cocky teen but he was too preoccupied with what his friends were referring to. "What are you-" He began, still confused. "If you don't mind my asking how are you going to do it?" Krista asked excitedly.

"What the shit are you all talking about?" Eren growled, his voice low. "How you're going to ask Armin to the prom!" Sasha piped up, tired of keeping quiet. The turquoise eyed football player felt his face turn about 5 shades of red before he spoke.

"You told them?!" He asked, his sister's face stoic even under his rage. "There was no need. Your behaviour was more than enough to reveal it." She explained, pushing a stray strand of hair from her face.

"No offence Eren but you're not exactly the best at hiding something you're passionate about." Marco interjected. "Regardless of how we all found out, you need our help don't you?" Annie added. Eren opened his mouth to question how she knew the details of his plan only to have the blonde haired girl answer his question.

"I saw you outlining what you're planning on doing during physics this morning." Eren closed his mouth and nodded. "Ooh, what's he going to do?" Connie asked curiously. "I don't believe it is my place to say." Annie responded, her gaze turning on Eren.

The boy in question sighed and finally succumbed to everyone's wishes. "Fine I'll tell you. But if any of you say so much as a word to Armin about this I won't hesitate to beat the everliving shit out of you." He stated, his eyes narrowing dangerously. The group of friends seemed to agree, knowing all too well that Eren would have no trouble following through with that threat.

* * *

 

Armin breathed deeply, happy that a privilege such as that was finally returned to him. He was almost back to normal from the relentless hell he'd experienced yesterday.

After he finally got some sleep and took some medication, he recovered. Marco had stopped by with his homework, however he seemed to know something. This sparked Armin's curiosity and raised his suspicions.

Thus explains why he was now sneaking around during study hall, trying to get the Intel on whatever all of his friends were plotting, and why they hadn't included him. "I've never done such a thing before…" He thought, his panic escalating.

He'd made sure to tie up all of the loose ends and pull out all the stops on his plan. He allotted time for his escape, time to investigate, and time to return. Right now he was sneaking around the second floor, following Annie and Reiner whom he saw just seconds before heading to what looked like the planetarium.

"….ou really think Ms Hanji will agree to this?" He heard just the tail end of what Reiner was saying. "I don't see why not, he _is_ her favourite...." Part of what Annie was saying was cut off as they stepped into the large dome, leaving Armin still wondering.

The window on the entrance was blacked out so his plans of observing what they were doing were now trashed. The blond haired boy began to make his way back when he spotted two figures on the football field. From what he could see it looked like Jean and Connie.

Happy that he found another lead, he made his way down the stairwell and behind the bleachers, cussing when he hit his knee on one of the metal benches. Luckily, the pair seemed too absorbed in conversation to notice. "Where do you think he should stand?" Connie asked, looking around the field for a good spot.

"I think he should stand up there." Jean explained, turning towards Armin. The blue eye'd boy squeaked and ducked down, only to realize that the two were looking to the top of the bleachers. "Y-You don't think he'll fall do you?" Connie stuttered.

"Don't be a fuckwit Connie." Jean responded, the thought already in his mind. "Even if he did his head is so thick it won't even make a dent." The two began to laugh boisterously, sharing a high-five.

"Jean and Connie being brain-dead dumbasses. What else is new…" Armin scoffed, leaving his position and returning to the library. He was going to return to his seat when he spotted Sasha and Krista looking through books at a nearby table.

He was about to join them until he caught what they were discussing. "Oh Sasha I'm sorry, I can't seem to remember what the title was." Krista apologized, she appeared to be thinking of something. "Ah, it was something about marine biology right?" Sasha asked. "I believe so. Maybe we should ask Eren again. I don't want to get the wrong book…"The petite blonde girl responded.

"Maybe. I don't really want to stress him out any more than he is you know?" Sasha admitted. "This is very important to him." Krista agreed. Armin backed away, returning to his seat with more questions than answers.

About to go back to work, he realized that he absent-mindedly forgot his statistics textbook. He sighed heavily, rising from his seat and slinging his leather messenger bag over his shoulder. He could have sworn he felt someone watching him leave, but it was probably all in his imagination.

He ran back up to the third floor, taking the steps two at a time. He didn't have the best stamina so he was a bit winded when he finally made it. Armin stopped for a minute when he spotted Bertholdt in the hallway, fiddling with the lock on what seemed to be his locker.

The two were locker neighbours ever since Armin's old locker had been messed up in a prank by the seniors at the time. It was quite peculiar to see him having trouble with his lock, seeing as he became a master at lock picking.

"Hey Bertholdt!" Armin greeted, frightening the taller male. "H-Hey Armin!" He responded, taking a step to the side. Armin ran towards him, closing the distance between them. He could have sworn it was his locker his friend had been fiddling with but it was probably just a trick of the eye.

"Can't get into your locker…?" He asked curiously. "Ah, yeah. Looks like I forgot my combination…" The black haired boy explained. Armin raised an eyebrow, the other acting more than suspicious.

"You know the janitor would be more than happy to help you." Armin suggested, about to input his combination when he noticed the lock came off with ease. He looked back to Bertholdt's spot, which was now occupied by nothing but air.

Something was definitely up.

* * *

 

The next day came all too quickly for Eren, who right now just wanted to crawl up in a hole and die. The dismissal bell rang about 5 minutes ago and everyone was in position. All he needed was for Armin to make his way to the field. Mikasa was standing by his side, comforting his frayed nerves.

"Eren. Your anxiety is unnecessary. Armin will definitely say yes." She reassured, concerned for her brother who looked like he was about to throw up. "My throat's too dry, I can't do this…" He croaked desperately. Just as Mikasa was about to respond she received a text from Marco.

"Too late to go back now." She stated, looking Eren in the eye. "Good luck." She concluded, patting his hand before making her way to her correct position.

**Marco Bodt**

2013-06-21 2:53 PM

_Armin and I just got out of history class. Tell everyone to get ready!_

* * *

 

Armin was glad the day was finally over. All of his attempts to confront his friends on their cryptic behaviour the past few days all failed. At least yesterday they'd talked to him, but today they completely ignored him.

To be honest, he felt betrayed. What was so important that they couldn't tell him? Was it a prank on him or something? The questions increased when the blue eyed boy opened his locker to find a glass bottle with a message inside.

Perplexed, he popped the cork off of the bottle and slid the note out. As soon as he unrolled the note, he felt some sort of excited energy running up his spine.

_Remember that time we got in trouble for laughing too loudly? You told me a joke about dolphins and I countered with an equally cheesy pun about whales. That day I realized that those lines you get when you smile too widely or laugh too much are simply beautiful._

The memories of that day came back along with a whirlwind of emotions. They were 10 and it was the first time he got in trouble. He was pretty angry with Eren that day, but the other boy bought him an ice cream and they called it even.

Armin turned the note over, finding the title of the book written on the back. With a renewed vigor, he sped down the stairs and to the school library. Locating the book, he opened the cover, finding another note. It was hard to miss really. The book had a colourful spine with the title written in a childish font.

_Interesting that all our best memories are of us being mischievous isn't it? That night in the planetarium was unforgettable. Your radiance really put the stars to shame. I believe you owe the heavens a little apology Mr Arlert._

Armin chuckled silently, nostalgia taking him over. They were 15 and they snuck in after hours. They watched the stars for what seemed like hours until Eren fell asleep. "How could I ever forget…how close we were…and how warm Eren's hand was…" Armin though, cheeks heating up at the memory.

He snatched up the note and slammed the book a bit loudly. Ignoring the complaints of the librarian, he jogged to the planetarium, noticing that Ms Hanji must have left it open. He fumbled through the dark, finding another note taped onto the wall. Sparing no time, he tore the paper slip off the wall and squinted his eyes.

_Okay, okay. Enough of the games. Just head on over to the football field. The star quarterback has something to show you._

Armin smiled, he wouldn't expect anything less from his best friend. They were 18 and Eren had led their home team to victory against the Titans. Their rival school. In all the excitement of the game Armin had caught Eren in a tight hug.

"He smelled so nice…like fresh baked bread with a hint of department store cologne." Armin thought. He couldn't take it anymore. He had to see Eren. He sprinted out of the room, down the stairs and to the front door, where he heard music softly playing.

His heart was beating faster than it ever did before and his breath was erratic. The blond-haired teen took a deep breath before exiting the school and staring in awe at what was in front of him. All of his friends stood on either side of the field, cheering loudly.

The music from earlier sounded foreign at first, but as soon as Eren began to sing he recognized the lyrics all too well.

_Do you remember when I said I'd always be there?_

_Ever since we were ten, baby._

_When we were out on the playground playing pretend._

_Didn't know it back then._

Armin looked up at Eren, the boy in question catching his gaze. The usual rage fueled hatred that was present in his eyes had vanished, tender love and affection taking its place.

_Now I realize you were the only one_

_It's never too late to show it._

_Grow old together, Have feelings we had before_

_Back when we were so innocent_

Just before he proceeded into the chorus, the brown-haired boy picked up a sign that he had placed at his side. Holding it up, he never took his eyes off Armin for a second.

_I pray for all your love_

_Boy our love is so unreal_

_I just wanna reach and touch you, squeeze you, somebody pinch me_

_This is something like a movie_

_And I don't know how it ends babe_

_But I fell in love with my Best Friend_

Armin took a moment to see what the sign said, falling even more in love with Eren with every word he read.

_It's been 11 years since the day I fell in love with you. Will you go to prom with me?_

Armin couldn't suppress his excitement any longer, he ran towards Eren. The sounds of his friends chanting his name seemed to lower in volume until they were non-existent. Eren was extending his hand, his smile growing as Armin drew closer.

The two shared a warm embrace not too long after, the cheers of their friends increasing. "Yes…" Armin whispered in Eren's ear, sending a shiver through the other boy's body. When they separated, blue locked on turquoise. "I've actually been waiting 13 years to do this." Armin admitted, pulling in Eren for a tender kiss.

Electricity passed between the two, the kiss was soft and slow. Not inexperienced or awkward in the slightest. "Because it was love at first sight…" Armin thought.


End file.
